Lead QA Engineer

Team: EMEA

Location: Krakow, Poland

Commitment: Full-time

Workplace Type: onsite

Key Responsibilities

• Build and Lead the QA Function
• Establish the QA function within R&D from the ground up, including processes,
• frameworks, standards, templates, and governance.
• Define and implement a scalable QA operating model aligned with FreeBalance’s SDLC and release cycle.
• Create and maintain QA documentation, including test strategies, test plans, test cases,
• and best practices.


• Test Execution & Coverage
• Conduct functional, integration, system, and regression testing for FreeBalance’s GRP
• modules and platform components.
• Ensure coverage across a broad suite of modules (budgeting, treasury, procurement,
• HR, payroll, assets, inventory, workflow, security, etc.).
• Validate cross-module behavior in a monolithic, highly integrated Java-based platform.


• Automation Strategy & Implementation
• Lead the selection, evaluation, and implementation of QA automation tools, including
• modern AI-enabled test automation solutions.
• Build automation frameworks for UI, backend workflows, and regression testing.
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines.
• Ensure maintainability, scalability, and extensibility of the automation suite.


• Process Design & Continuous Improvement
• Define end-to-end QA workflows, including entry/exit criteria, gating, and release readiness.
• Establish quality standards and enforce QA processes within R&D.
• Drive continuous improvement of test coverage, defect detection, and release stability.


• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Work closely with Development teams during feature implementation, defect triage, and release cycles.
• Collaborate with Functional Specification teams to clarify requirements and identify risks early.
• Partner with the Services department to improve pre-release quality and reduce field defects


• Leadership & Team Building
• Provide mentoring and technical guidance to future QA team members.
• Develop onboarding materials, training plans, and QA career paths.
• Within 12-18 months, evolve into a QA Manager role leading a team of 3-5 engineers.


• Quality Metrics & Reporting
• Define and track KPIs including defect leakage, test coverage, automation coverage,and cycle time.
• Introduce dashboards, data-driven insights, and quality reporting to R&D leadership.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional QA experience in complex enterprise or platform
• environments.
• 5+ years of experience in government, ERP, GRP, or similarly complex domain
• environments.
• 10+ years of experience with test automation, frameworks, and tools (UI, API, backend).
• 3+ years of team leadership, mentorship, or hands-on management experience.
• Extensive experience testing Java-based applications, ideally monolithic architectures.
• Strong experience with multi-module, workflow-driven systems.
• Deep understanding of functional, system, integration, and regression testing.
• Experience designing QA processes from scratch or transforming existing QA functions.
• Experience with CI/CD automation and pipeline integrations.
• Strong analytical and diagnostic skills in complex systems.
• Experience testing across Oracle, MS SQL Server, or PostgreSQL databases (preferred but not strictly required).
• Demonstrated capability to evaluate, recommend, and implement QA tools and
• solutions, including modern AI-enhanced testing tools.
• Familiarity with the following technologies in the FreeBalance stack:
• Java, JEE, Spring Framework, Hibernate/JPA
• JSF, React, Material UI
• Web services (REST/SOAP)
• Apache Tomcat
• Reporting engines (e.g., Jasper, BIRT, Crystal)
• Messaging systems (ActiveMQ)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience testing large-scale financial, public sector, or mission-critical systems.
• Hands-on experience with AI-powered QA automation platforms (e.g., Mabl, Testim, Functionize, Appvance, Avo, etc.).
• Experience creating dashboards or automated QA reporting.
• Experience supporting defect triage, RCA, and structured release readiness processes.

Success Metrics (First Year)

• Establishment of a fully functioning QA practice, including processes and documentation.
• Deployment of an automation framework covering core workflows.
• Measurable improvements in defect leakage and release stability.
• Demonstrated adoption of QA processes across R&D.
• Hiring and onboarding of 1+ additional QA resource(s) within 6 months.
• Promotion into a QA Manager role with an initial team of 3-5 engineers within 12–18 months. 

Interview Expectation

• Candidates will be expected to present a high-level 3-6-12 month QA roadmap, outlining how they would design and implement the QA function at FreeBalance, including process, tooling, automation strategy, and quality governance.

Why This Role Matters

• This is an opportunity to create and lead QA in a company whose software directly impacts public governance and financial transparency around the world. As a QA leader in R&D, you will define strategy, drive transformation, and contribute to the long-term architecture and culture of software quality at FreeBalance